Stay With Me by Jenny Anastan

heated argument. Maybe this meant we would be able to meet each other halfway for Olivia. I would have done anything to give her the chance to have a father by her side.
    Even if it meant being stabbed in the heart every time Andrew and I saw each other.
    “Yes, I made them.”
    “They’re my favorite,” he said, taking another one.
    “They’re Olivia’s favorite too.”
    I saw his eyes light up. “She’s a lot like me,” he remarked, getting lost in thought. He was probably remembering their first encounter.
    “You have no idea.”
    “I haven’t forgiven you, Zoe.” He froze me with those five words. “It’ll be difficult to forget what you’ve denied me, but now all I want is to know Olivia. That requires me to be as nice as possible to you, but if I could, I’d avoid it.”
    “Andrew, I neither want nor have to justify myself to you. If you don’t understand the reason for my behavior, I can’t do anything about it. But don’t worry, you’ve made your point. The only thing that matters is Olly’s well-being. I don’t care if you hate me.”
    “I didn’t say I hate you. I could never hate you. But I’m very angry. Actually, furious would be more accurate.”
    I was about to offer a rebuttal when Olivia’s little voice interrupted our conversation.
    “Mommy?”
    We both turned toward her. She rubbed her little eyes as she looked at us.
    “Are you up already, love?” I asked her, completely altering the inflection in my voice.
    She nodded, then looked at Andrew. “Hi.” Her little voice sounded sleepy.
    “Hi, Olivia,” Andrew replied, looking at her with an expression that I’d never seen on him before.
    “We’ve already seen each other. Down at Mommy’s. You didn’t tawk .”
    I had to hold myself back from bursting into laughter. Olivia had an incredible memory, besides having quite proficient speech for three-and-a-half years old. I often called her “my little radio.”
    “I was just tired the other day.”
    She looked at him and tilted her head. “Are you a friend of my mommy’s?”
    “Yes,” he admitted with difficulty. “But if you like I can be your friend too.”
    “I need to ask my mommy.” She turned toward me. “Can he?”
    “Of course, Olly.”
    She smiled and clapped as she did every time something roused her enthusiasm.
    “Yay, I have a new, new friend.”
    Andrew burst out laughing and I stole a glance at him. He was truly handsome. How could I, in spite of everything, not be captivated by him? After everything he’d said and done to me, I should have banished him from my heart. And yet his name and his face were always present. They had been so even when he was on the other side of the country.
    I was so close to him that I could have stretched my hand out to—
    “Mommy, hungry,” Olivia interrupted my insane imaginings.
    I shook my head to clear my thoughts, got up, and had her sit in my chair. “Eat the cookies and I’ll get you some milk. Afterward we’ll go to Golden Gate Park.”
    “Yes, yes, Mommy!” she squealed.
    I went into the kitchen and left Andrew alone with Olivia. I took the milk from the refrigerator, poured it into Olly’s favorite cup, and warmed it for a few seconds in the microwave. Those few moments were enough for the memories to invade my thoughts once more like an avalanche.
     
    “What are you doing?”
    Andrew’s voice reached my ears, velvety and hot. His skin smelled like shower gel. He put his large hands on my hips and started rubbing against me, making me hot very quickly.
    “C-cookies,” I stammered. “I need to go visit a friend.”
    “Mmm . . .” He rubbed his nose in my hair. “You smell good.” He grabbed my butt and pushed me against the kitchen shelves.
    “Andrew, it’s two o’clock. You said that—”
    “Right, the meeting,” he murmured, pushing his body closer to mine. “I need to go, but our conversation is only being postponed, baby.”
    He left a trail of kisses on my neck, then left me